Who publishes white papers?
White papers abound in the technology sector, where they are commonly used to explain software and hardware products. In technology marketing, white papers are now a standard part of the marketing arsenal. In a recent survey of 350+ technology vendors, 78% reported that they created white papers in 2004; even more (86%) planned to use them in 2005. But there’s no reason why white papers can’t be written about services or methodologies. In fact, any vendor selling anything relatively new, relatively complex, and relatively costly could likely benefit from a white paper. This includes companies in sectors like these: Software Computer hardware and peripherals Medical, test, or communication equipment Technical or scientific services Consulting. Vendors of any relatively familiar, simple, and inexpensive B2C technology don’t bother to publish white papers, since there is little need for them.
